Azam Khan Swati

Azam Khan Swati
Muhammad Azam Khan Swati (Urdu, Pashto: محمد اعظم خان سواتی; born June 22, 1956) is a Pakistani politician and businessman who served as the Minister of Narcotics Control and Railways from 2020 to 2022. He is the elected senior vice president of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
Swati, during his stay in the United States, owned a chain of stores, was a member of Pakistani American Congress, played important role in high-profile charity events.
He joined the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam in 2002 and became a senator in 2003 but resigned in 2011 and joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). In 2018, he was again elected as a senator on PTI's ticket. He has served as Minister of Parliamentary Affairs from 18 April 2019 to 6 April 2020 in the cabinet of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Early life and education
Swati was born in Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and belongs to the Mitravi section of the Swati tribe, the biggest land-owning family of the districts Mansehra and Battagram. His ancestors were the Sultans of the Pakhal Kingdom (1190-1519) of Swat and Hazara and he himself is the current Khan of Sherpur.
Because his family members, including his father, his uncles and his cousins, were already involved in local politics, he himself became politicized early on, competing in school and college debates and being elected president of the student council numerous times. His brother Laiq Muhammad Khan is also a politician.
In terms of education, Swati earned his B.A from the Post Graduate College, Abbottabad; his M.A (Economics) from the University of Peshawar; his LL.B (Bachelor of Law) as a Gold Medalist from the University of Karachi; his M.A (Political Science) also from the University of Karachi (Pakistan); his LL.M (Master of Laws) from the University of Houston Law Center, USA; his Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD) from the South Texas College of Law; and his Texas State Bar Certified Attorney at Law.
Business and legal career in the United States
Having migrated to the United States in 1978, Swati began by working in a convenience store for $2.50 an hour job. Over the years he eventually himself became the ower of several C-stores. In 1997, he founded the Pak-Oil Company and acquired jobber-ship for Exxon and other major oil and gas companies, being involved in fuel distribution and wholesale business. He also invested in real estate in Texas' Golden Triangle and neighbouring Louisiana.
Swati would remain active both in business, eventually owning more than 100 convenience stores, apartment buildings and restaurant franchises in East Texas and Louisiana, and also in law, as an attorney in Houston, Texas, before renouncing his American citizenship in 2003, having returned to Pakistan in 2001 and joined its politics.
Political career in Pakistan
Swati became active in politics in the 1970s, when he was a practicing lawyer in Karachi and jailed many times for protesting against the military dictatorship of Zia-ul-Haq. This is the reason why he would move to the United States in 1978.
After moving back to Pakistan in 2001, he'd be elected as district nazim of Mansehra, noted for not accepting any salary or security protocol. He would then become a senator on a Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam ticket, having joined the party in 2002. During these years he'd also help establish the Hazara University.
Between 2008 and 2010, Swati had pursued the Hajj corruption case in the Supreme Court relentlessly, which ultimately forced the government to sack former religious affairs minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi.
In 2011, he joined Imran Khan's PTI.
In December 2020, he was appointed Federal Minister for Railways.
Controversies
Multiple arrests for 'obnoxious tweets' against state institutions
Swati was taken into custody on 13 October 2022 by the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) cybercrime unit for allegedly making ‘controversial tweets’ against state institutions. The case was registered under Section 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and section 109 of the offense of aiding and abetting. A district and session court in Islamabad on 21 October 2022 granted him post-arrest bail against surety bond worth PKR 1 million.
Swati was arrested again on November 27 after the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) booked him in Islamabad over a “highly obnoxious campaign of intimidating tweets [...] against state institutions”. It was the second time that Swati was booked and arrested by the FIA over his tweets about army officials in less than two months. Islamabad High Court approved Swati’s post-arrest bail on 3 January 2023 against the submission of surety bonds worth Rs200,000.
References
1956 births
Pakistani emigrants to the United States
Living people
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf politicians
University of Peshawar alumni
University of Karachi alumni
University of Houston alumni
University of Houston Law Center alumni
People from Mansehra District
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) politicians
Pakistani senators (14th Parliament)
Minister of Railways (Pakistan)
Imran Khan administration
Former United States citizens
Swati
People from Swat District